Figure 2. Custom modifications increase the throughput of fraction collectors.

Two laser-cut, easy-to-integrate fraction collector modifications were designed to allow each fraction collector to collect from multiple effluent streams simultaneously. 2-D and 3-D schematics of multi-head dispensing modifications for collecting into 96-well plates (A) and into F1 tube racks (B) are shown with relevant dimensions. Either modification can be attached to a fraction collector by removing three screws holding the fraction collector dispensing head to the moving arm, and re-attaching the head by replacing the screws through the three 4.00 mm diameter holes in the upper-left area of the laser-cut parts, attaching the part to the dispensing head (C). These modifications have a 14.60 mm diameter hole that opens beneath the original dispensing head so it may continue to be used. The remaining 6.00 mm diameter holes hold 200 pL pipette tips which act as additional dispensing heads by receiving downstream tubing from culture vessels and directing their effluent streams into parallel rows of collection wells or tubes. (D) Fractions were collected from the six streams shown in (C) at a rate of 1 fraction/hour and a flow rate of 1 ml/hour for 20 hours. The volumes collected in the 20 fractions for each stream were averaged and graphed with their standard deviations. The data confirm that there was no difference in the fractions collected from each of the 6 streams.